BENJAMIN J. SULLIVAN

SULLIVAN, Benjamin J. Died peacefully on April 12, 2013, in his 95th year, at his home in Dalton, Massachusetts. Ben was the son of the late Dr. Patrick Sullivan, long time physician in Dalton, and Margaret Maher Sullivan, and was predeceased in 1996 by his wife of 46 years, Louise Hennelly Sullivan (formerly of Pittsfield, Mass) and by his sisters, Jean Ogden and Eleanor Collins. Ben was born on July 6, 1918 and resided for most of his life in Dalton, graduated from Dalton High School in 1935, continued on to The Choate School where he graduated in 1936, Yale University (class of 1940) and Harvard Business School (class of 1942). Upon graduation from HBS, Ben joined Crane & Co., Inc. paper manufacturers headquartered in Dalton, and shortly thereafter enlisted in the US Navy where during his four years of World War II active duty he was stationed in Newport, Rhode Island and Yorktown, Virginia, and multiple theaters in the Mediterranean, including North Africa and Italy, in the Ron 15 PT boat squadron. Following his discharge from the Navy in 1946, Ben rejoined Crane & Co. and over more than 45 years with Crane, held various operating and management positions, including being named President in 1975 as the first non-Crane family member to lead the company since its founding in 1801. Following his retirement from day-to-day management responsibilities in 1991, he continued as Chairman of Crane for several years. Ben was highly devoted to numerous civic and charitable causes, including serving for many years on the Dalton Town Finance Committee, the board of the W. Murray Crane Community House in Dalton, the Berkshire Medical Center (Pittsfield) where he was highly involved as a board member in the expansion of BMC's facilities in the 1970s. Ben was also a long time member of the board of directors of the First Agricultural Bank and the Berkshire Life Insurance Company, both headquartered in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Ben was an accomplished single digit handicap golfer, and multiple winner of the Country Club of Pittsfield club championship where he and Robert T. Jones III, the great golfer Bobby Jones's son, perennially dueled for the championship. He also served as a several term President of the Country Club of Pittsfield, was a member for over sixty years of the Wahconah Country Club in Dalton, and a member of the Harbour Ridge Yacht and Country Club in Florida where he also maintained a residence. Ben was also a regular at the Bay State Seniors golf gatherings right through his 80th year. Ben was a life long communicant of St. Agnes Church in Dalton and had a long time association with the Benjamin F. Sullivan American Legion Post in Dalton, which was named after his father's brother who was killed in action in World War I. Ben is survived by his only son, Ben and his wife Charlotte of Rye, New York, together with four grandchildren, who lovingly adored their grandfather, Madeleine Sullivan of New York City, Charles Sullivan of Washington, DC, Christopher Sullivan of Boston, MA, and Catherine Sullivan a student at UNC Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Funeral services for Benjamin J. Sullivan will be held Monday, April 15, at 10:45 a.m., from the Dery-Foley Funeral Home, 890 East Main Street, DALTON, MA, with a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 11:30 a.m., at St. Agnes Church, 489 Main Street, Dalton, celebrated by Rev. Christopher A. Malatesta, Pastor. Burial, with military honors will follow in Fairview Cemetery, Dalton. Calling hours will be Sunday, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Mr. Sullivan may be made to Berkshire United Way in care of the Dery-Foley Funeral Home, 890 East Main St, Dalton, MA 01226.